Re black boxes in cars -- practically all cars built since the mid-1990s (and some from earlier) record the state of emission and other engine controls over the last 30 sec-1 minute of operation, and many newer ones record far more information. The data can be obtained now if a lawyer beats on the car maker enough (some are harder to get info from than others - witness the recent Toyota cases). Federal efforts are toward mandating standard recording and readout formats and criteria so you don't have to say please pretty please to the car maker to get it.

I kind of agree that the tendency (driven as much by plaintiffs' lawyers as much as creeping government nannyism) is to record more data over time. Usually, it's not used for real-time monitoring in non-work situations, but I also would be surprised if there isn't a mandate for cameras in cars at some point in the foreseeable future. It'll happen (as in Metrolink's case and some airlines already) more quickly in commercial transport and other work situations (we have cameras all over our building ostensibly for security but who else has access besides the guards?) because there in fact is no right to privacy in a work situation. Your home may be your castle, but your cubicle or your cab isn't. As with email and internet monitoring (yes, it's constant in most workplaces) the data will probably not be used in real time - rather, they're saved and used when there's a need or desire to dispose of somebody. Welcome to modern HR management.